Video: Crusaders' Alex Thompson injured against Rochdale

North Wales Crusaders have urged the Rugby Football League to act following an incident which has left one of their players facing a ‘long period out of the game’.

Loose forward Alex Thompson stayed down in the third minute of the Crusaders’ Kingstone Press League One clash with Rochdale Hornets after being tackled by Tony Suffolk.

The challenge, which resulted in the Crusaders man being stretchered off, caused a storm on social media and was met with widespread condemnation because of its unusual nature.

Thompson, who also plays second row, is likely to miss the remainder of the season and is taking unpaid leave from his job as a landscape gardener after rupturing his achilles and damaging his medial collateral ligament.

“What we can see is an unusual attempt at a tackle, which could cause a serious injury,” said North Wales Crusaders chief executive Jamie Thomas.

“We have asked that the incident be dealt with in the most severe way possible.

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“For one part-time player to do that to another part-time player, it’s a very poor act.”

The incident was put on report by the referee and has been referred to a match review panel that meet every week to look at incidents from the preceding weekend.

The panel will rule whether or not Suffolk has a case to answer and could decide to call the player in to face disciplinary action.

All games in the league are recorded and those tapes are submitted to the Rugby Football League every week as a matter of course.

“We’ll wait to see what the Rugby Football League come back with, but we’ve asked them to deal with it in the most severe way possible,” said Thomas.

“Alex hasn’t broken anything, but he’s sustained quite a significant injury, he’s facing a long period out of the game and he’s now in a position where he’s having to take unpaid leave from work because he can’t do his job.

The chief executive added: “It’s important that incidents like that are dealt with as harshly as possible.”

Suffolk was sent to the sin-bin later in the game after ‘coming together’ with Crusaders prop Elliot Davies, who was also sent to the sidelines.

The Hornets player was also named man of the match on the club’s website for ‘never taking a backwards step’ and ‘showing great energy in defence throughout the whole game.’